Two high-intensity practices set table for Florida's first-round rout
Before traveling to Tampa, the Florida men's basketball team went through two high-octane practices. The payoff was a 114-55 first-round win.
TAMPA — They wanted to win another SEC Tournament title, enter the NCAA Tournament on a 14-game winning streak and sustain the momentum that carried them through most of January, all of February and the first half of March. But then the Florida men’s basketball team sustained a semifinal loss to Vanderbilt on March 14. Worry or work?
The Gators went back to work. On March 16-17, Florida grinded out two practices in Gainesville before traveling to Tampa. “We had to get back to who we are,” guard Boogie Fland said.
Who the Gators are was on full display in their 114-55 — yes, 114-55! — first-round win over poor Prairie View A&M. In the history of the NCAAs, only one game had a more lopsided margin than the Gators’ 59-point win; Loyola beat Tennessee Tech by 69 points (111-42) in 1963.
The Gators turned a 15-15 game into a 60-21 halftime lead. They shot 75% from the field in the first half. For the game, they outscored Prairie View 64-10 in the paint.
Continue to the original source for the full article.